A CANCER sufferer who is due to become mayor has not requested a new treatment drug on the NHS because of a "postcode lottery."

And former firefighter Peter Gill, 57, said he could understand the difficulty the Government had in deciding which drugs it should pay for.

Coun Gill, who is due to become Rossendale's deputy mayor in May, and mayor the following year, does not have an automatic right to Sutent for his kidney cancer as it has not been approved for use on the NHS.

The same issue led to high-profile battles for breast cancer drug Herceptin.

And last week a Clitheroe kidney cancer sufferer finally won his second appeal to get his drug free after paying £3,000 a month from his own pocket.

For a drug to be provided on the NHS it has to be approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Until then it is up to local health authorities called primary care trusts to decide if it should be funded.

This has led critics to call the system a postcode lottery as some PCTs will have cash available for the drugs and others will not.

Mr Gill, of Greave Close, Rawtenstall, is having his drug paid for through private medical insurance after being diagnosed four weeks ago.

He said: "I can really understand the dilemma PCTs are in because they only have a certain amount of money.

"A PCT could employ a nurse for the same amount of money that would look after 30 patients. I haven't even approached the PCT for treatment.

"The PCTs and NICE have an overall responsibility to weigh up where the money goes because every dying person is important to their family. Lesser treatments are also important."

The drug has to be referred to NICE by the Department of Health. A Department of Health spokesman said it was considering asking it to review the drug.

Mr Gill, who has three grown up children and seven grandchildren, said: "My family had made plans to remortgage their houses. We are a very close family. They said if there's some way we can help then we will'. They would have rallied round to buy it privately."

But Mr Gill said he and his wife Christine, 57, had a joint policy with BUPA which they had taken out 30 years ago when she underwent treatment for breast cancer.

He praised the "brilliant" NHS for seeing him in a matter of days after being referred by his GP for diagnosis.

He has a 10cm tumour on his kidney as well as secondary cancer on his lung, back and chest.